'Don’t cast doubt on vaccination', says SC rejecting plea against mass inoculation

The top court was hearing a special leave petition against a HC order, which dismissed a PIL seeking directives to stop mass vaccination using Covishield and Covaxin

The Supreme Court on Monday declined to consider a plea against mass vaccination through Covishield and Covaxin, saying that it is the key to protect people from Covid-19.

"We do not want this matter to be argued at all. Let us not cast doubt on the vaccination,” a bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and B V Nagarathna said.

The court rejected the plea by an advocate for petitioner Mathew Thomas, who asked the bench to hear his arguments in details, claiming clinical trials had not been completed for vaccines.

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Making it clear that it was not keen on entertaining the plea, the court told the petitioner’s counsel that it found no error with the Karnataka High Court order in the matter.

The top court was hearing a special leave petition against the High Court order, which dismissed a PIL seeking directives to stop mass vaccination using Covishield and Covaxin. The court had then also imposed a cost of Rs 50,000 on the petitioners for wasting precious time of the court.

In May this year, the High Court, while dismissing the plea, had said the petition was not filed in public interest and it was a fit case to impose exemplary costs as it had consumed 45 minutes, which could have been devoted to deal with important issues arising out of Covid-19.

In the High Court, the petitioner’s counsel had contended that it was not clear under what authority of law the Centre permitted vaccination without completing clinical trials.

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